Jason and Dreck confidently made their way to the classroom assigned to them. Jason pulled up a picture on his phone and said, "This should be it." Dreck nodded, feeling assured.
Upon entering the classroom, they surveyed their surroundings, noting the empty space awaiting them.
"I'll sit in this chair," Dreck declared, comfortably settling into a seat by the window.
"That works for me. I'll take the one behind you," Jason replied, moving past him with purpose. Just as he prepared to sit, a wave of students filed in, their voices rising with animated chatter.
"My gosh, who is that sitting in your spot?" a girl named Mira asked, turning to her friend Andy.
"They must be the transfer students everyone was talking about," Andy replied, confidently striding over to greet the newcomers.
"Hey there!" she called out, waving at Dreck to capture his attention.
Dreck looked up and responded with a friendly smile.
"That's my seat," Andy interjected playfully.
"Oh, then who occupies this chair?" Dreck inquired, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
"Nobody. I'm not paired with anyone at the moment," she replied matter-of-factly.
"Then you can partner with me," Dreck suggested assertively.
"No worries! I'm Andy, and you?" she asked, intrigued but steady.
"I'm Dreck, a transfer student," he said, glancing at his phone for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.
A moment later, the lecturer entered the room, and the noise quickly subsided. Each student assumed their position, ready for the lesson.
"Good morning, everyone," the lecturer greeted warmly, and the students responded in kind.
"I see two new faces. You must be the transfer students," he noted, focusing on Dreck and Jason.
"Please stand and introduce yourselves," he instructed, and the classroom buzzed with anticipation.
Dreck and Jason stood up, exchanging confident looks as they faced their classmates, who welcomed them with friendly smiles, ready to bring the newcomers into the fold.
"I'm Jason Greg," Jason said and dropped into his seat.
"I'm Dreck Winter," Dreck followed, dropping into his seat too.
"Welcome, Jason and Dreck! I hope you guys get along well with your coursemates. Good luck," the lecturer said before turning to the board and diving into the lesson.
After what felt like an eternity of two and a half hours, the lecturer wrapped up, and the students were feeling pretty worn out.
"Wanna play some sports?" Andy asked.
"I'll pass. I'm heading home," Dreck replied right away.
"Oh, see you tomorrow then," Andy said with a smile, which Dreck returned before packing up.
Dreck looked up and saw Jason staring at him, deep in thought.
"You should've told me you were waiting," Dreck smiled.
Jason rolled his eyes but walked out of the classroom alongside him.
"Have you heard from the patient yet?" Jason asked, curiosity evident.
"Not yet. You seem really interested in them. How about visiting today?" Dreck suggested.
"I mean, it's just across from the school," he added.
"Nah, I'll pass. You can go by yourself," Jason replied, more teasing than serious.
"I'll pass too. But it…" Dreck started but got cut off by his phone buzzing. He quickly picked it up.
"Good day," a female voice said on the line.
"Good day," he replied.
"I'm calling from the hospital. You saved my mum a few days ago. Thanks for that! I just found out you offered to pay her bills."
"Actually, that was my friend," Dreck clarified.
"I told you to pretend it was you," Jason whispered.
"I'm not comfortable taking credit for that," Dreck whispered back.
"I'll hand him the phone; you should talk to him," Dreck said to the girl.
Jason took the phone, a mix of tension and curiosity on his face.
"Yeah..." he replied.
"Thanks for saving my mum and covering the hospital bill. She'll be discharged today, all thanks to you. I owe you big time."
"My pleasure. I hope you remember that," Jason said, a grin breaking through.
"Goodbye..." the girl said before hanging up.
"I thought you agreed to help me?" Jason questioned Dreck as he glared at him.
"I couldn't take credit for what my kid brother did," Dreck smiled, patting him lightly on the shoulder.
He hissed upon hearing what he said. "Get into the car," he added, still glaring at Dreck, who just smiled.
They both walked into the car and drove off.
★Hospital★
"Thanks so much, nurse," Clio bowed with her mother beside her.
"I'm glad you've recovered already," the nurse said with a smile.
"Thanks for the care, Nurse," Mrs. Jenkins replied with a smile.
"It's my pleasure and my duty as well," the nurse smiled, staring at the mother and child.
"We'll get going, Ma, thanks," Clio said as she started walking out, but it seemed like the nurse remembered something.
"Uhmmm... Be careful of the man who came yesterday. I don't know, but he doesn't seem nice," the nurse said.
Clio stared at her mother, noticing the mood change. She said, "Hmmm... Thanks, nurse," before she pulled her mother gently as they walked out.
The nurse just stared at them before they disappeared into the thin air.
Clio and her mother walked out of the hospital environment, her mother leading the way until they got to a park, not too far from the hospital.
"Mum, where do we go now?" Clio asked, knowing vividly that her mother wasn't going back to the Jenkins house for any reason.
"I have a friend who has agreed to accommodate us until I find an apartment for rent. He'll be picking us up soon," Mrs. Jenkins replied, leaving her in a state of shock.
"A friend? How is it that I've never heard of him?" Clio asked, a bit of anger in her tone.
"He was my colleague at my former workplace. We're very close, I must say," she replied, and Clio moved farther away from her.
"Mum, I'm not going to move in with such a man!" Clio declared.
Mrs. Jenkins walked closer to her and held her shoulders. "Do you prefer going back to the Jenkins house so we'll keep suffering? I've promised to rent a house as soon as possible," she said, her tone high and angry.
Tears fell down Clio's cheek. "Mum! It's not like I want to go back home, but..." she started and finally hugged her mother.
"I don't want to see you being controlled by another man while trying to shelter me. I don't just want to see you suffer."
"Clio, don't worry. I'm not going to suffer, neither will you suffer, okay??"
"We're going to be fine," her mother assured, patting her hair gently before they finally disengaged the hug. She kissed her on the forehead afterward.
Clio sniffed before she looked up to her mother and smiled.
"I love you, Mum," she added with a smile.
"I love you more," Mrs. Jenkins replied.
"I'll be back, Mum, let me get something from that shop," she said, pointing at a shop a bit far from the spot where they were standing.
"Okay, be fast then," her mother replied.
Clio turned around immediately and started walking to the shop, but the road that led to the shop was completely dark. When she had gone a bit far from where her mother was standing, she met a guy standing not too far from her. He looked strange according to her instincts, but she overlooked him.
Just as she was about to walk past the guy, he halted her, preventing her from moving further.
"What's this?" she asked, annoyance ringing in her tone. The guy didn't say a word rather he kept moving close to her.
"I don't understand the games you're trying to play now, but don't you get close..." Her statement was interrupted when she heard a little slam on the wall. That was her back hitting the wall just beside her.
"Ahhhh..." she screamed, but it seemed like nobody was hearing her.
Outside, the streets of the shop were quite dark, and she couldn't ask for help. Inside her, she wanted to scream, but it felt like words weren't coming out of her mouth. Just when she was about to give up, she heard some footsteps approaching the scene.
"Please be my savior; I'll repay you well in the future," she screamed in her head.
"Have you gone nuts?" A guy's voice echoed as he pulled the strange guy away from her, giving him a heavy blow on the face.
"This is for treating a girl like an object," he declared.
His word rang in Clio's head. Suddenly she remembered how her dad always beat her up. She just wished all men could be like the guy in front of her.
He threw another punch, bringing Clio back from her thought. "This is for acting foolishly. He was about to throw the third punch, but he just couldn't continue out of pity.
"Scram!!" he commanded, and the strange guy fled immediately.
He walked closer to Clio, "Are you okay? I'm Jason"
Clio's heart raced as she processed what just happened. Jason's calm demeanor contrasted sharply with her fear, but she couldn't shake off her instinct to keep her distance.
"Why did you help me?" she asked, curiosity mingling with skepticism.
"Because no one deserves to be treated like that," Jason replied earnestly. "I just acted on instinct. No one should be alone in a situation like that."
Clio hesitated. "But you don't know me. You could have been hurt."
"I can handle myself," Jason assured her, his confidence slightly easing her tension. "But you shouldn't have to face this alone."
She considered his words, still on guard. "And what if you're just like him?" she challenged, the memory of her father's abuse surfacing painfully.
"I promise I'm not," Jason said, his expression earnest. "I understand your fear. Just take your time."
After a moment, Clio took a deep breath. "I'm Clio," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Nice to meet you, What are you doing out by this time? It's not safe here," Jason suggested, glancing around.
"How about following you to wherever you're going?" He added
Clio nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude and unease. "Okay, but—"
"I won't let anything happen to you," he interrupted gently. "You have my word."
As they started walking back, Clio felt conflicted. She had always been taught to be wary of male strangers,she had this belief that there wasn't any difference between a man she calls her father and any other guy she was gonna meet, yet there was something about Jason that seemed genuine. Perhaps this was a chance to find someone different, someone who respected her.
"Thank you for what you did," she said, suddenly aware of the warmth spreading in her chest.
"Just doing what's right," Jason replied with a reassuring smile.
With each step back to her mother, Clio clung to that flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, not all men were like her father.
"I can continue the journey alone. Thanks." She said suddenly
"Hmmm,are you stopping me from moving further?" He asked in surprise
"I'm not. I don't want my mum getting angry. Thanks once more" Clio replied and walked away immediately
"And that's just it. I'm not surprised though, judging from the first day I saw her" He mumbled to himself as he watched her disappear into the thin air.
He turned back afterwards,and started walking back to where he had earlier met her. A vibration sound came through his pocket,it was a phone call.
He quickly picked the call. "Hello..."
"Hey man. Where you at?"
"The convenience store close to Belgium High School. I'll be back soon"
"Jane was raped,I'm at home right now about heading for the station with dad" The voice dropped the news
Jason scoffed, pretending not to have heard the statement that was made earlier. "Jane was what?? Are you playing a kind of prank with sister?"
"Come home right now!!" The voice echoed and hung up
Jason quickly ran to his car and drove off to his family house.
As Jason sped down the familiar streets, his mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. Jane was his younger sister, the one person he had always felt protective of. The thought of anything happening to her ignited a surge of anger and fear within him.
Arriving at his family home, he rushed inside, the door slamming shut behind him. Their house nabby was pacing, her expression a mixture of worry and disbelief.
"Jason, thank God you're here," she said, her voice trembling. "I... I don't know how to handle this."
"What happened?" Jason demanded, his heart pounding. "Where's Jane?"
"She's in her room. She doesn't want to talk." his mother replied, tears glistening in her eyes. "She was out with friends, and..."
Another wave of fury coursed through him. "Who did this?" Jason asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We don't know yet. She just got back and told us," The lady known as Alicia said, her voice cracking. "I should've known better than to let her go out."
"Your dad and Dreck just left for the station"
"Don't blame yourself," Jason said softly, heading toward Jane's room. "Just let me talk to her."
He knocked gently on the door. "Jane, it's me. Can I come in?"
"Go away!" her voice sounded small and shattered.
"Please, just let me in," Jason pressed, worry gnawing at him. After a moment, the door creaked open, and he stepped inside.
Jane sat on the bed, her eyes swollen and red from crying. "I don't want to talk about it," she said, turning her gaze away.
"I know this is hard, but you need to tell me what happened. I'm here for you—always," Jason said, sitting down next to her.
"I was just walking home with some friends. We stopped at the park," she began, her voice trembling. "And he... he just grabbed me,my friends couldn't help,they all ran away."
His heart sank. "Did you see his face?"
"N-no," she stammered. "He had this strange mark on his ear. He just came out of nowhere, and I was so scared. I couldn't fight him. I thought I would die."
Jason felt a rage boil within him. "You're safe now, Jane. I won't let him hurt you again," he promised fiercely. "We're going to get through this together."
The sound of sirens approached, and Jane flinched. "The police are here," she whispered, anxiety flooding her features.
"I'll be right here," Jason reassured her, squeezing her hand. "You don't have to face this alone."
"Let's go to the sitting room" He added and they walked out of the room
"Make sure you answer whatever you know,don't hide anything,okay?"
"I won't" She muttered
As the officers entered, Jason stood back, allowing them space. They spoke with Jane, asking gentle questions, while he remained close, ready to support her at any moment.
After the officers left, Jane fell silent, staring at the wall as tears streamed down her face. "What if they can't find him?" she whispered, fear gripping her.
"They will," Jason said fiercely, his protective instincts surging. "And if they don't, I'll make sure you're safe. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
Just then, Greg,Jason's Dad and Dreck walked in, their face etched with worry. "Is she okay?" Dreck asked
"I'm fine, Dreck," Jane said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jason looked at his father and Alicia, determination in their eyes. "We'll handle this as a family. No one will hurt her again, I promise."
The five of them huddled together, the weight of the situation heavy in the air but bound by their shared resolve to heal.
In that moment, Jason vowed not only to protect his sister but also to speak out against the darkness that had touched their lives. No more silence. There would be justice. And with that, their family would rise beyond this pain.
When everyone had returned to their rooms, Jason remained in the sitting room lost in thought.
"The guy raped his sister near a store,could it be the same guy that had an encounter with Clio??" He though and exhaled heavily in confusion
"If it is so,then who could this man be?" Jason thought and stood up immediately, walking out of the house
"You're leaving again without me?" Dreck voice came from behind
"Didn't plan to disturb you" He replied
"You call finding the culprit that raped my sister disturbance?? I can't believe you Jason" Dreck hissed and walked past him straight into the car,while Jason followed behind
As Jason was about entering the car,he saw a figure in front of the building. He squinted his eyes to make sure his guess was right.
"Clio...!!" He called in shock
"Ja..Jason??" She called back from a distance
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